Improved artificial gork



UNITED Sintes llnrnirr tlirricn.

E. L PERRY, GF NEW YURK, ANB E. D. LA ZELL, UF BROUKLYN, N. Y.`

lMlEliiliVFf iiiimliliilit.. GRM.

Speciucaticn Jforming part or" Letters Patent No. #,ryilit, datedSeptember lf2, 1865.

4had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. A

This invention consists in making corks of a composition of guita-percheor india-runner or other iihrousgunis, mixed with ground cork or sawdustor some other substance containing similar qualities, whereby We producea.

cheap and reliable cork orlstopper for apotheearies use, and viiorliermeticaliy sealing jars oi fruit and preserves, and for lounge forbarrels, casks, hogs, 85o., and for many other purposes. y The.accompanying drawings represent our cork applied to a fruitjar.

Figure l is a central vvertical section of the cork, taken in the line,Fig. 2, showing the form we have found best adapted forhermetically-scaling purposes. Fig.l 2 is a bottom view ofthe cork, or aView of the portion which' is inserted in the neck ot' the jar, showinga cavity in the same. l In the manufacture ot' these corks we takegatta-perche, one part 5 ground cork, two parte; 1itharge,sixsixteenthsparte sulphur, onesixteenth part and. pnt there into a machine uenallyemployed for mixing india-rubber or gut ta-percha until they varethoroughly mixed. Thecomposition is then formed iu moldsand vulcanizedby the usual or any suitable processat a-te1nperatnre,say-,of from 2300to 2600 y Fahrenheit.

gum is this: The gum (in crude) is first softened and dried in u, hetmill. Then a certain quantity of sulphur and lithargeis added, and

it is ithen put into e rat oiwaicr and-subjected to a steam-heat oi,say, 2400 Fahrenheit, for

about six hours. i This partially cieans it and over the tops of thejars.

iole its lower part to be more readily pressed together for insertion inthe jar. It possesses theqnality ot' lightness, which is very desira-1ole in articles of this kind, and also the quality oi elasticity, Whilethe rubber or gatta-percha'body, which isiinpervious to air or water,maken the stopper vperfectly tight, giving to any vessel to which it isapplied the character lot being hermetically sealed.

When using these corks it will he found advantageous to put them in Warmwatersay for a moment or two-till theyA easily yield to pressure, whenthey can be crowded tightly into the neck of the preservejar or otherarti-V cle; but they can he used Without warming in the same manner ascommon corks, though more pressure will, of course, berequred to iusertthem properly in prcservejars than in ordinary bottles and jars.

In iiermetically sealing fruits and preserves they are put into the jarin a heated state, in 'the usual manner, and the corks 'are driven in.vWhen the i'ruit or preserves become cool the airiosesits expandedcondition, andnone whatever can be admitted from the outside, for thereason that corks made oi' this substance are perfectly impenetrable byair. They have no snoei! nor taste, and their use obviates the necessityof puttingtin-foil or any such substance lhe'qualities therefore oi'this cork for. hermetically sealing fruit and preseryejers 'will'oefound verylsuperior.

in. manufacturing corks for common purposes no vulcanization will benecessary, and they will answer the purposes for which theyl nia-y heemployed in a perfectly satisfactory manner.,

"We have nained gotta-perche and 'ground cork in the proportion oi' onepart of the former to two parts 0i' the latter, but the proportions canhe considerably varied and produce a very satisfactory result, as wehave fonnd by experiment, asmay also be 'done with regard to the otheringredients.

` India-rubber or other fibrous gums maybe .used instead ofguttapercha,and sawdust or' some other vegetable or mineral substancemay be used instead ofthe cork..

We will here remark that aside from the use of this composition forcorks we have found it to answer admirably asl a material of which tomake door-mats and many other articles which require lightness andelasticity. l

When these corks are' to vhe used by apothecaries, chemists, and othersvinthe presence of' acids, the body or matrix which contains 'the groundcork or i'egetaolev matter should be made of-gutta-pereha, since thatsubstance is notliable to corrosion b y acids. The guttaperche. matrixcompletely covers and conceals the grains of cork-or other matterdispersed and mixed through'it, and so protects .them

from the attack of acids and other substances contained in the 1vesselswhich are ciosed by the corks.

The corks may bejwithdrawn from .the jars' or bottles byan ordinarycorkscrew Without dama-ge or injury of any kind to the cork.

" 1 What we claimas new, and desire to secure

